MAÂLMA ASMAA HAMZAOUI & BNAT TIMBOUKTOU

Pioneer amongst the women of Gnaoua, Asmaa Hamzaoui shakes up the codes of an art long reserved for men. Daughter of the great Maâlem Rachid Hamzaoui, she has played the guembri since childhood, vibrating to the ancestral rhythms of Gnaoua celebrations. By founding the group Bnat Timbouktou, she asserted a powerful feminine voice at the centre of a secular Moroccan tradition. The collective pays tribute to Gnaoua African roots while also evoking exile, memory, and resilience.

Their appearance at the Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira in 2017 marked a turning point, confirming their legitimacy on a still very much masculine stage. In 2023, their unforgettable fusion with the Amazones d’Afrique celebrated a powerfully rhythmic and engaged artistic sound. In 2024, Asmaa and her musicians took to Borj Bab Marrakech—an emblematic and historic venue—for a vibrant concert full of symbolism.

Asmaa Hamzaoui stands out as an inescapable ambassador of contemporary Gnaoua culture, and perpetuator of living heritage.